Neverwinter Forest and lock the fire escapes

The canopy of branches above his head was thick, blocking the dimming sunlight from streaking in through slits amongst the leaves - a few trickles every now and then poured in like the scattered drops of rain, though with the approaching of night it was dark at the forest floor. The soldier's muted, inky coat was well hidden amongst the shadows, lithe yet muscular figure darting betwixt trees as though he had done it a thousand times. The starborn youth's eyes, cold as daggers laid to rest in ice, swept across the landscape with a firm look of solemnity that was permanentally painted on his features. So dark was his gaze; it held the serious frown of a man who'd seen great pain in his life, though how ironic it was that the pain he had witnessed was the very torment he had caused himself - he was a snake, a slithering creature with incisors laced with venom, a deadly dragon with the breath of ravenous flames.

He brushed aside the fallen pine needles, large paws coming to a halt within the undergrowth. His muzzle, burned with scars, tipped up to the sky to watch and as the deep blue began to stretch over the sky and consume the light, a puff of air released from his nostrils, creating a cloud of grey before his face. The slender tendrils of cold air rushed through his pelt, cool embrace of the darkness wrapping its arms around his stomach as though a sweater covered in holes - no warmth crept in through the gaps, not as he moved and not as he stood there, but he no longer shifted his position. He waited, watching as the curtain of black was draped over the sky, and curled his tail to wrap around his rear.

RE: and lock the fire escapes - Nocturnal - September 28, 2018

The mist was settling in the forest they had chosen to be their home. That was, if they didn't find something better. The nocturnal being had been in Neverwinter before, she remembered; she had ripped the tongue out of a snake's mouth in here. But never had she stayed for long. It wasn't like Blackfeather; especially the absence of cawing overhead was missing, not to mention the tunnel system, her den, the Redgrove... The woods she grew up in were not theirs to claim anymore. The Melonii would settle elsewhere to build their legacy and restore their reputation.

She wondered then when her own Melonii lover would announce her as part of their bloodline. He had already expressed his desires to have her by his side at all times, to create something extraordinary within the confines of her womb. Not that it made Aries any less valuable if they did end up raising their own offspring. Aries was still young, he probably didn't mind playing with the pups when they were able to, while Damien and her looked out for the pack. How far in the future was she thinking? It wasn't even winter yet...

It was then that she spotted her dark ward and she approached, speckled tail swishing gently from side to side. She heard the rustle of Tulugak in the trees up above, carrying some pine needles with him that he was trying to hide by turning his tail feathers her way. She wondered what the bird was up to, until it swooped down and dropped the forest bedding onto her head with a loud caw. Tulu was a prankster she had come to notice, not that she minded his harmless pranks. She chuckled as she shook off the remaining pine needles and addressed Aries.

Greetings. She started. How do you like the forest?

RE: and lock the fire escapes - Damien - October 01, 2018

bit of a short phone post!

While the feeling of the new forest was nothing like the memory of Blackfeathe Woods, this place was far enough from the dark woods for Damien to consider it a potential territory to settle down in. Nyx was content enough with it and since Vaati didn't care to give an opinion he had chosen to make it a temporary settlement unless they found nothing better.

He followed his lover's warm trail through the dark night to gather up with Aries, growling softly at the blackbird when he targetted his partner. Damien didn't usually mind his harmless pranks but lately he'd become more of a nuisance than an asset. Perhaps he was just jealous that he didn't have the kind of influence over him that his lover did.

Damien greeted the young ward with a nod, still unsure how to adress him other than just politely. Nyx asked him about the forest, and settling just next to her Damien held out for Aries' answer. There were many things to miss from Blackfeather Woods, but with a little work and getting used to he was sure that this place would be just as good.

RE: and lock the fire escapes - Aries - October 05, 2018

Before now, he had not step foot in this forest. In fact, he'd barely journeyed at all during his time at Blackfeather, for the soldier had been preoccupied with other missions and tasks his mind had been set on completing. He only remembered scraps of his trek to to Moonspear with his old family, a little flash of a memory that had been ignited as the group had departed from the dark woods for perhaps the last time - he recalled feeling his paws grow tired, feeling irritable and yet excited by the adventure ahead of them; it had been so new, so intruiging. Now, he felt very little of that youthful enchantment, and yet he could not deny this forest held some sort of significance - it was to be their new home, and the Reaper swore to map every inch of it within his mind as he had with Blackfeather.

The silence was broken as the rustle of branches snapped his attention upwards, and the young man eyed the black bird and followed its gaze until he caught sight of Nyx. He greeted her with a low chuff, rumbling from his chest like the grumble of thunder. "It has potential." He replied, unsure how exactly to describe how he felt about it. It was decent enough to provide them with a domain, and often Aries could be picky with matters such as this.

Another figure joined them beneath the canopy, black fur and dark eyes, to whom the Svartell also acknowledged with a dip of his crown.

RE: and lock the fire escapes - Nocturnal - October 11, 2018

Her ear flicked at the sound of her lover's footsteps, rustling the earth and bedding beneath him ever so slightly. She smiled at him, rolling her eyes and then pointing at where Tulugak had settled in the lower branches of a tree nearby. She didn't know whether Tulugak simply disliked Damien or that he was just nicely pulling his strings for a reaction by bugging her, but she decided the latter was the better explanation for Tulu's pranks given what she knew about him thus far.

I agree. She added politely, turning so the trio could form a circle to discuss the matters at hand/paw. Tulugak decided he also wanted to be a silent addition to the discussion by swooping over them triumphantly and ultimately landing - rather softer than before - on Nyx's back with a caw, eyeing down Damien with his shimmering eyes. Though not hailing to anyone really, Tulugak had accepted Damien to be the leader of their band.

RE: and lock the fire escapes - Damien - October 26, 2018

As expected Aries and Nyx agreed that the forest was fit for their requirements, and so it was decided. There was no turning back now, and though the nostalgic noise in the back of his head would slowly fall to silence it would always be a ghost pinned to his back from the moment they left Blackfeather Woods.

We still need to map it out and figure out how we stand, he said, trying not to kill the positivism, but naturally trying to stay centered in what was really important. They would become what Blackfeather Woods was never able to. They would put order to things, and they would skip not a single step for as insignificant as it might seem to achieve their end.

RE: and lock the fire escapes - Aries - November 13, 2018

There was a brief moment of silence, and the young man watched Tulugak idly. He was as black as the shadows dancing between trees, with beady eyes and little black talons that wrapped around the twisted branch of which he perched atop; Aries had seen ravens before, and this one was not much different (they often looked the same), but they were odd creatures, and they intruiged the reaper.

"Who else joins us here?" The steel soldier murmered, quirking a brow toward the other darkened wolves - he knew of some, but there did not appear to be a particularly large number. Perhaps he had missed a couple, or they simply had yet to focus on recruiting those who seemed worthy enough to accompany them in the woods.

RE: and lock the fire escapes - Nocturnal - November 14, 2018

We will start recruiting shortly. She answered without trembling over the fact that there numbers were little. For now we are safe and together, there is not more we could have wished for. As she said this, she moved closer to the two men that accompanied her and placed a soft brush against her lover's side